Velka and Keela were thrown into the room, falling off the circle and tumbling into the dirt. The both of them immediately scurried to the side, throwing up for Velka, dry heaving for Keela. Wiping her mouth, Keela turned around towards Velka.

“Should’ve warned you, my bad. Don’t really have control of that spell yet”, she said, patting Velka on the back.

“Is… is he going to be okay?” asked Velka, making the images rush back into Keela’s mind.

“I… I doubt it.”

Following the commotion, a group of guards rushed into the teleporter room. Seeing Keela, they stood at the ready but eased up. Keela helped Velka get up, offering her a shoulder in case her legs were weak. One of the guards took a step forward.

“Princess, I have been ordered to inform you that Haryk wishes to speak to you immediately”, they said, eyes shooting between Velka and Keela.

Velka looked around, confused, looking for who they were talking about.

“Thank you, I’ll go see him immediately. Back to your posts, no need for help”, replied Keela, causing Velka’s confused gaze to lock on to her.

The guards stood to attention and left, followed by the duo. As they walked through the corridors, Velka freed herself and walked on her own, stopping Keela.

“What’s this princess business?” she asked, looking almost worried.

“Let’s talk about this later. I’ll explain anything when we get some rest. For now let’s just go see Haryk”, said Keela, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Velka sighed but followed as Keela sped past, heading to where she remembered the meeting room to be. She opened the door and b-lined for the table, taking a seat immediately, slumping down and inviting Velka to take one too; which she did, although rather timidly.

“You left rather abruptly earlier, I merely wanted to close the subject. I think a delegation to Wul would be smart and would let us--” started Haryk, ignoring what had happened earlier.

“Haryk for crying out loud, it’s still no, no matter how much you want to twist it. I’ve just nearly been mauled by the Ivory Razor; I have no intention of considering Wul as a possible ally”, interrupted Keela, slamming her fist on the table, making everyone else jump.

“Speaking of which, where is Bertaut? I need to have a word with him too.”

“I’m about 90% sure he’s dead.”

Haryk’s mouth opened to formulate a complaint at first but he shut it, weighing the situation in his head. Looking pensive, he let the silence hang in the air for several minutes, eyeing Velka half of the time.

“And for what? This… servant?” he said, visible disdain in his eyes.

Within a flash, Keela had kicked his chair backwards onto the ground, holding his throat firmly with her fire in her eyes.

“You are in no position to debate my company Haryk. One more out of line comment and your eyes are going to pop out of your head like grapes. Are we clear?” she said, speaking through her clenched teeth.

Haryk stayed silent, looking her in the eye. Keela’s hand tightened on his throat.

“Are. We. Clear”, she insisted, moving close to about an inch away from his face.

“Yes”, he finally muttered, gasping for air as Keela let go of his neck.

As Keela started to make her way out, her ears caught a comment.

“Beastmen are all useless anyways. We can give her a bottom of the line task.”

Keela dashed back to him within a second, standing in front of him with a forced smile.

“I thought I had made myself clear”, she said, putting all her effort into maintaining a smile.

“You can’t afford to lose me”, replied Haryk with a smile showing that he had trust in his own words.

“Oh?”

Spinning around on herself, Keela’s heel connected with the side of Haryk’s head with such power that it disconnected from his body entirely, flying into the wall with a sonic boom, splattering all over the carved wood.

“Looks like you were wrong”, she said, wiping her heel on his clothes.

Taking a sharp breath in to compose herself, she turned back towards the table, grabbing a piece of watermelon.

“Feno, could you be a dear and get another advisor by next week? Ideally, someone competent that understands how things are outside these walls?” she said, taking a big bite of the sweet fruit.

“I… I can surely find someone, yes”, replied Feno, sweating profusely.

“Relax, you’re not in danger. He’d been pushing my buttons every time I saw him.”

“Alright princess. Shall we call off other discussions for the day? I believe rest is in order.”

“Yes. Thank you Feno.”

Keela then invited Velka to follow her, heading to her bedchambers to talk privately. She surprised herself at how well she was able to find her way through the corridors. When they got to the room, Keela had a bottle of alcohol and two glasses in her hands. She sat next to the low table and gestured for Velka to sit on the other side. Pouring two glasses, she pushed one towards her with a nod.

“You’ll need it”, she said, grabbing her own glass.

To her surprise, Velka pounded the glass and started pouring herself another one.

“I already did after whatever that was”, she said, picking her glass up and looking at Keela.

“Sorry about that”, replied Keela, sipping her glass.

“So, I thought I didn’t really know you that much. As it turns out, I didn’t. But now there’s this whole princess thing? Honestly, I’m just confused at this point. Who are you? What are you?”

“Keela Norra Aekian, princess of the kingdom of Noclye, heir to the throne and honestly, about three days ago, I was just as confused as you are.”

“And the other guy? The one that saved us?”

“Bertaut Rokian the Architect, former captain of a spec-ops squad that apparently served under me back before I was exiled.”

“You were what?”

“Oh dear.”

Keela spent the next two hours telling her entire story in vivid detail, not omitting a single detail. Velka listened the whole way through, sipping her glass occasionally. As Keela finished, she slumped backwards into the mountain of cushions that laid against the wall.

“That’s… A lot of information”, said Velka, looking as incredulous as she was relieved.

“Told ya you’d need a drink”, replied Keela, sitting back up to empty her glass.

“Following all of this, I’d like to ask you a favor.”

“For all the shit I put you through, I figure it’s the least I can do.”

“I’m tired of… being in danger and being weak. Can you train me?”

Keela sat with her glass in her hands, a touch dumbfounded.

“What?” she asked, looking back up at Velka.

“Well, you’re strong, I’m weak. You train me, I get stronger, less danger, I can help”, replied Velka, punctuating her sentences by swaying around, her ears waving comically from side to side.

“It won’t be easy.”

“Not like I’ve got anything else to do at this point.”

“Fine. I’ll try. Can’t promise anything.”

“Fine by me.”

“One last toast before bed?”

“What for?”

Pausing for a second, looking into her glass, Keela thought to herself before deciding.

“To new beginnings”, she said, raising her glass.

“To new beginnings indeed”, replied Velka, clinking glasses.